Cup-dispenser.



Ml H. LOCKWOOD.

CUP DISPENSER.

APPucATloN FILED MAR. 25. me.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

BEST Aivfemeze com vented. eetain new and usefol mprovements in Cupspeusel's? owhoh the :Eel- .iowng is speeetion.

nested enged oups from Wkohjthe' lower most cup may es Separated or dsoheged by manuel means. :f has been usual with eupdisponsers of this ,kind to Supl-sof the Stack of oups in such e manner het the low'erxooSt cup protrudes through the bottom openlng o and may be grasped by @he han and. Withdrawn.y the steek of oups being suppoyted by the imaged edges of the lowermost cup m such e Izmnel that Withdraw the lower- 'moet eup the flange must be clisored. Sop 'porting the oups in this manner and bemg compelled to m'eibly mw the flange o? the @up hrough a muovi/opening or pest e membef: adapted to #im 1y-distort the enge, is object-,inname the@ injury tothe cup moy moulin therefrom The object my invention iS to provide a sup-dispenser, the ouez opening of which is of suoen; diameter' to permit the free passage of the cup flanges thefehrough lwthout requiring that they should be dsored in any manners. 'n eerryxpg oui: this .inw/enf tion, E have devised a, form of xed esoapeM ment in which the oups are iemoved through zig-zeg passage oooizetf @peeing formed in the mummy supporti fo ,lejoupd'eoeven The principio of the (evc is such that i11- Werdjf @jacking ribs m anges are prefe'eby provided at d fe'entfeves and eccentrioey mx'euged with respect to each other :md to the exis of the receiver, the stack of cups being normally supported "oy one of the ribs or flanges. ln older 'ifo remo ve a cup, in the horeindesoribod depletion of my invention, the owormos cup is; glfesmd by the .hand and the emiro steek, of (zu s is bodily n'mvef` off oi tho lower rib or funge which normally suppone the stuck of oups, or unbil the edge of the owermost cup 'flange is eec from the 'noznmy wpportng rib or enge of e'vee e'n che opposite rib is brought nao phy to support the sfaok of cupa: emporfuiy, ivy engaging the' e'lge [weiem exea maree ze, wie. serie-eme of the next to lle owemnos aupa lhus pez Hitting the sepmetoo. and emovsl o! the owe'most cup. As you the owemost l cup been remov i n 1s remmer, lle .Gta-ok of oups 1s aapff o muoedm-eiy shoe of thetemporery holding rib fmge of heupport and again upon end oe- Simca, l

Que orm of my myentlon as zluef "Flgure 'represents e rooteemtilon of ted ported by the @they rib in Ehe uomnel po the devloe teken lom from to beck' theme31.

Fig. 3 represens e 'megeve-ese m',ossseo'- 'tonjofl he ino of Fig. Wthou; showing-She oups.

g. Lf is another @masi-'mee emes-section on the line 1&4. of Fig. 2 jus; :above the iowermost ecoenro ''bg ene l 'Figf 5 is e section similar ee hee shown in Fig. 2 representing' the position of he cups ,when the emp steek s moved trans versely to remove he owermoscup.

Refezig to the rawingg, A repesents the receiwerY for a Meek oi' nesta-.gi enged oups, the rec-simi' pl'eerably keine; e g' *buho with closed. uppel: end and of e, diem@ oop 'enges The lower and of the tubis open and is edapef mbe suppot-e in ai annular supporting member which is preieraby formed with e ooontexboze C to t' the receiver and support the semo'cnrL an nbeaeledge substantially as .indicated 'in Fxgs. 2 and 5 of lle ravvisa s. mmeezey below this edge or intefim shoulder prow Vide an eccentric rib or iamge B which is preferably beveed on its upper fece and, of suclenis Width to enter between the siooossive cup fanges of the Smokey? sup E. The rib or-zmge D extends crescent-1iliefemund one side, preferably the front7 of the sup port B and provides :L circuler opening of e dimm/ iev buzfsghtly huger fbzm the oop flanges so that the 'intro-1: :are niizlptmyto 'pass freely therethrough. immediately below the eccentric rib of ange D, preferaby provide e second eocentrc rib or ange F, not only eccentric with respect to ythe oupreceiver but eoeentio of be @their rib or Hnge D. f. is, how efleoflte on the diareceiver, that at the back of the support as y indicated in Figs. 3 'and 4 of the drawings.

The flange F is preferably spaced so that 1ts i upper surface is an appreciable distance be- -of the cup flanges E `by an appreciable i am'ount, thereby" permitting the latter to or vconvenient heighth and clearthe lower edge of the flange or rib D when'the cups are normally resting upon the eccentric rib F, as indicated in Fig. '2 of the drawings. e

The ribs or flanges D and F may be formed in any desired manner but preferably they are formed integral with the annular support or member B and the circular opening therein are made continuous with the walls of the annular support, substantially as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, where it will be seen that the eccentric ribs or flanges gradually thin out and disappear in the wall of the member B. Incthais manner the flanges become a part of the, outlet openings for the cups and provide a passage(zigzag or sinuous in fori .1)which is of sufficient diameter to permit the free passage of the cup flanges therethrough Without distorting them in any Way. The member B and the entire device` maybe supported in any preferred manner, as for instance, by a bracket G, provided with screw holes at H for attaching the same to .the

wall or other permanent support.

In operation the cups are preferably arranged in nested form in a stack of suitable laced in the receiver A, which is adapte to protect the same from dust or other contamination and also act as a guide for preventing the stack of cups' from falling over. lowermost cup rests, in the present form of' the device, upon the lower flange or rib F, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the lower-most cup in this view being shown in section. It will be seen that the flange of the lowermost cup rests upon the rib or flange F, which, asshown, is provided with a flat upper surface adaptedlo act as a permanent or normal support for the stack of cups. If now the lowermost cup is grasped by the hand and the entire stack is drawn forward (toward the left in Fig. 2), the flange of the next to the lowermost cup will strike the inclined face of the/rib D and ride up the same and assume a position, substantially as indicated in Figf of' the drawings, vin which position-the 'rib D acts asa temporary support for the stack of cups and the lowern'iost cup is free lto be withdrawn because its flange E is below the rib l) and clear of the rib l" and ran .freely pass through the orrent'rir circular opening defined by the rib ll and the wall oli the support ll. As soon as the lowermost cup, as indicated in Fig. 5, is removed from the Normally, the

stack, the entire stack, resting temporarily upon the beveled face of the rib D, will slide down the same and return to the normal position with the flange of the lowermost cup engaging the rib F, as indicated in Fig. 2. It will thus beseen that the ribs or flanges D and F act something like an escapement which permits the removal of a single cup at a time by bodily shifting the stack of cups from the normal supporting rib or flange to the temporarily supporting rib or flange and withdrawing the lowermost cup.

It will b'e understood that the shape ofthe escapement ribs may be varied and the number and location thereof changed to meet requirements for different stylesof cups and the Way they are to be delivered, and various modifications in the 'specific details of construction of the device may be made without departing from the spirit and scope oi' the invention.

I claim- 1. A dispenser for nested cups comprising a receiver for holding a stack of cups and a support for the receiver provided with a discharge opening of sullicicnt diameter for the free passage of a. cup therethrough, said opening being defined by eeccntrically arranged circular flanges in different planes having their centers on opposite sides of the axis of the receiver whereby amovement of' the cups transversely of the receiver is ree quired to s parate and remove a cup.

2. A dispenser for nested cups comprising a receiver or holding a stack of cups and a support for the receiver provided with a .discharge opening having an inwardly extending flapge adapted normally to support the stackoli cups by supporting the lowermost rup.on one side thereof and an oppositely disposed flange adapted tovtemporarily support the stack of cups by engagement with the next to the bottom cup when the stack of cups isV moved bodily ofi' of the first namedflange to separate the bottom cup i from the stack.

lllll lllfi 3. A dispenser for nested cups comprising l a receiver for holding a stack of cups and a support for the receiver provided with a discharge opening of suflicient diameter for the free passage of a cup therethrough, said opening being formed zig-zag by two eccentrieallyarranged circular flanges extending inward from said support in different transverse planes and having their nters on op- "posite sides of' the axis of said receiver, one

of said flanges being adapted to support'the cups normally, the other being adapted to support thestaek temporarily when the stack is bodily moved oil' of the first named flange fo separate the lowermost cup.

4. A dispenser for nested cups comprising a receiver for holding a stark of' rups, a support for the receiver provided with a to he, eeeentrie to eaeh other and of sueh annular support discharge opening of sufficient. diameter for the free passage of a eup theretln'ough, and

means .for perniitiing the removal of said oups singly through said openingcomprising olipositely disposed flanges, lsynnnetrieally arranged with respect to the axis of said receiveig one for normally suman-ting the stack of eups|- and the other lor temporarily slipporting 'the stark. the latter -eoming into play only when the i oil the normally supporting flange to separate 'the lowermosteup t'roni the stark.

A'dispenser for nested rups eomp'rising a ree'eiver for'holding a stark of oups, an annular support. having a eountierbore'd portion adapted tofit the outside of the receiver, a segmentalrib extending inward from the wall. of.' said support and defining a eireular opening eeeentrie of said receiver ,iind a yseeond segmental ril) located below :uplispaeed from ille first flange also define i'iiga i-ireular opening e `centrc of said rei-eiver, said openings being displaced so as diametel as to permit the t'ree passage of a i'up therethrough.

f. dispenser for nested oups frourwlrich the, rupsv ari` to he withdrawn manually eoi'nprising a reeeiver t'or holding a ataek'of eups. an annular support, for the, reeeiver provided willi ereentrieally, arranged rilisv for support ingr` the stack of enps one, of' said rihs lieing -in .a plane below the other and adapted to support, the cups norinally.vl the other ril lieing lieveled and adapted to support. llie'stael temporarily when the staeh` is moved hodily o'llI ol'the lower rib for the removal ol the lowerinost eup.

T, A dispenser for nested rups eomprising a rei'eiver for hold'ng a sfaelt lof' cups, an

willi a rvpair ofi eeeenfrieally arii'inged. inwardly extending rihs. said rilis heing spared apart longiludiinilly of `the stark of oups and adapted to alternately nel: `is a support l'or the eu is when the staelt is hodil" moved for the removal ol.`

Kstai-k is moved bodily ing means.

lor the reeisiver 'provided' e aiding` shifted ofi of said normal support,4 f'or the removalof the lowermosf: cup. 9. A dispenser for flanged nestedrups eomprisinga receiver for holding a stack of eups and lan annular support for the reeeiver provided with meansl eomprising.ipn-v wardly projeeting eeeentrie annular flanges y cooperating with the flanges of the cups for supporting theA same whereby the eups may he withdrawn singly by shifting thefstaek of cups bodily transversely lof said support- '10. A dispenser for fianged nested cups eoinprising a reeeiver for holdingfa stai-k of cups and an annular support 'for the rei'eiver provided with iuwardlyprojecting means on one side of the eentral axis of' the receiver ailapted to eoi'perate with the flange of the lowermost eup of thestaek forl normally supporting the stack, and means on the opposite side of the central axis adapted t eoi'iperate with the flange of the next suceeeding eup of the stack and .temporarily support the staek when the same is bodily shifted ofl of the normally supporting means for the removal ofthe lowerinost. eup.

1l. A iaip dispenser. comprising an open mouthed eoutainer.for a vertieally disposed staelc of n ted flanged rups, and rigid eeeentrie flanges mounted therein kat the mouth of the container for diseharging eups one at' a time hy lateral movement of the staeln 12. A cup dispenser comprising a eontaiuer for a vertically disposed stark o-l' nested flanged eups having an opening at its lower end through which cups may he diseharged, and rigid means eomprising cecentriiannular fianges mounted within said opening for diseharging cups one at a time hy lateral movement ofthe stack. the inside dianietei-ot the opening defined by 'said annular flanges being greater at. any given luirizontal plane `than that. of a eupflange.

lil. eup dispei'iser ineluding in eoinhit nation a stationary container for a stack of nested flanged rups having'an opening at its lower end. a fixed primary support, within said opening for at. one time engaging the ldweiniosf i'np and a4 fixed port within said opening for t engaging the next t0 the. lowermost. enp. said .seeoiul-ary support heilig efl'ertive 4to temporarily support the stai-l( during removal of lhelowerinost eup and to guide'the Slack ioy supporting` engaginenL-With/Hsiid prima ry nu ppoit,

-ivian'otus n. LoeKWooD. f

seeondanv sup-k e at another time 

